What is it about?
This paper presents the first-ever profile of persons mired in backlogs for visas based on a qualifying relationship to a US citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR). It analyzes 1.55 million persons living in households with family members who could petition for them for a family-based visa. It finds that this population -- our proxy for the 3.7 million in family-based backlogs -- has long tenure, works at higher rates than the overall population, and (of course) enjoys close family relationships to US citizens and LPRs. Family unity is an essential human right and the US family-based immigration system has been called the de facto US immigrant integration policy. This paper shows that it is also a source of necessary US workers.
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Why is it important?
The family-based immigration system is under attack, yet its benefits are substantial -- intact families, immigrant integration, and a strong source of labor. This system should be strengthened, not diminished. Backlogs --which can run 60 to 70 years -- should be eliminated. In addition, persons in family-based visa backlogs should be prioritized for legalization in any future legislation.
Perspectives
The population profiled in this paper is often dismissed as a burden and as law-breaking. This paper demonstrates the group's substantial ties and myriad contributions to the United States. In addition, by definition, this group has availed itself of US legal processes and its badly broken immigration system.
Mr Donald Kerwin
University of Notre Dame
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Fixing What’s Most Broken in the US Immigration System: A Profile of the Family Members of US Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents Mired in Multiyear Backlogs, Journal on Migration and Human Security, May 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/2331502419852925.
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